L’Oreal Kids Orange Mango Smoothie 2-in-1 Shampoo – Look at the label

L’Oreal Kids Orange Mango Smoothie 2-in-1 Shampoo is a beauty best seller on Amazon this week. Let’s look at the label to see what makes it so smooth. Interestingly, unlike J&J’s baby shampoo which uses all mild, amphoteric cleansing agents, L’Oreal starts with a relatively harsh surfactant (sodium laureth sulfate) and the adds other agents [...]

Can I bleach away blackheads?

Rozy asks…Is there any ingredients existing that go after the pigment of the blackheads instead of a traditional sal acid? Is there pigment in them? I know they are caused by oxidized keratin. I am pretty sure Estee Lauder has a serum that basically does this. The Beauty Brains respond: Rozy’s question sparked a little [...]

Does oil cause rosacea?

Sarah F says…I’ve had more than one esthetician say this to me.  “Only use oil free products.  Otherwise, you will trigger a rosacea flare.  It’s very bad to use products containing oil when you have rosacea.”  Is there any basis to this?  I asked my dermatologist, and he had no idea what this was about. [...]

Does mineral oil stop other ingredients from reaching your skin?

Kitster’s question…I’m a bit confused about mineral oil. Is it absorbed into the skin at all or does it just sit on top of the skin forming a layer? My favourite moisturiser is mineral oil based and I use physical sunscreen on top of it which contains some good stuff for skin eg antioxidants etc. [...]

Pore minimizing myths Episode 12

Do pore minimizing products really work? What causes enlarged pores in the first place? Find out all this and more in this week’s episode. Win a free copy of our book just by reviewing the show on iTunes! (We’ll pick one lucky winner from all the reviews left on iTunes in the next week.)  SHOW [...]

Is heat bad for beauty products?

Colo’s question…Hi, guys. It’s extremely hot right now where I live, and I read on a beauty blog that hot weather may affect the formulation of some cosmetics. They even suggested to keep them in the fridge during heatwaves, since cold is not supposed to alter the formulation. Is any of this true?  The Beauty [...]

Beauty science news of the week – Jan 05

Here’s a fresh crop of beauty science news for the new year.  3 reasons you can’t believe everything that beauty products promise. Would you like a new 3D printed face? A brief history of the current natural cosmetic ingredient trend. Skin brightening products that really work. What do you think of P&Gs new anti-sexism shampoo commercial?

Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray – Look at the label

Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray is the best selling hairspray on Amazon this week. Let’s look at the label to see what makes it stick.  (Get it? Hairspray…it sticks your hair in place? Ah, I love cosmetic science humor!) The most important ingredient I want to discuss is NOT in this product. That [...]

Do cosmetic products have the same formulas around the world?

Kenna’s question…This is a weird question, but are formulas the same across the world? For example, if I purchased Maybelline baby lips lip balm in Japan, would it have the same ingredients, or do some companies change their formula for foreign markets? The Beauty Brains respond: Kenna, that is NOT a weird question. In fact, [...]

What’s the best moisturizer?

Wade wonders…I am questioning the efficacy of using a raw material versus a product with a specific formula that might contain these ingredients. For the sake of relevancy, lets use an example—a battle between two of the most highly regarded moisturizers in the cosmetic industry: VASELINE v. AQUAPHOR! So, in one corner, we have the [...]

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